The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 531, 978, and 979: Ultron's First Appearance (Part 2)

"Tony, don't be silly. You don't actually think you can protect the Earth and save humanity with these useless metal golems that only obey stupid human commands, do you?!"

'Ultron' then pointed sharply at Tony Stark opposite him, speaking in a highly sarcastic and didactic tone:

"Let me tell you what the way to achieve lasting peace is..."

"There is only one way to achieve lasting peace, and that is... to eliminate all of you so-called 'heroes' who are in the way and maintain this flawed order!!!"

However, before its extreme and insane remarks could fully spread through the air, a furious roar rang out like a thunderclap.

"Shut the fuck up!!!"

The already enraged 'Stone Man', like a runaway heavy tank, covered in hard orange rock, charged savagely at 'Ultron' with a ferocious aura that seemed ready to crush everything.

boom--! ! !
Too close, too fast! 'Ultron' had no time to react at all. Its already broken temporary body was smashed to pieces by the terrifying force, just like a bottle hit by a bullet.

Various parts, cables, and metal fragments exploded and flew in all directions.

The core [Miniature Ark Reactor] flickered a few times before going out completely.

Only a relatively intact head remained, which rolled to Tony Stark's feet, the blue light in its eyes gradually dimming.

"Pooh!!!"

The Stone Man spat at the pile of scrap metal and said in a gruff voice, "You think you can wipe us out with trash like you? In your next life!"

silence.

A brief moment of silence.

Everyone looked at the pile of completely destroyed wreckage and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But in the very next second, before he could even fully exhale, he was still breathing heavily.

boom--! ! !
A dazzling, thick electric arc pulse cannon suddenly roared in from another entrance of the banquet hall without warning.

It struck the Stone Golem's broad rocky back with precision and force.

"Ugh..."

The Stone Man let out a painful groan as his massive, mountain-like body was blasted away by the powerful pulse cannon.

Like a boulder launched by a catapult, it crashed heavily onto a long row of tables laden with exquisite food, then rolled backward several times before finally coming to a stop in a sorry state.

"Book?!"

"Hey, Stone, are you alright?"

Everyone turned their heads in horror to look in the direction from which the attack had come.

There, a red and gold, streamlined Iron Man suit, exuding power and technology, slowly emerged from the passageway leading to Tony Stark's private studio.

Its every movement was fluid and precise. The circular [Ark Reactor] on its chest emitted a stable and powerful blue-white light, while the eye sensors on its visor glowed with an eerie scarlet light.

It was none other than the main armor Tony Stark had been using recently—the Mark 43 armor!

Σ(⊙▽⊙“a???

"WTF?!" James Rhodes exclaimed in shock. "Tony?! Isn't that your Mark 43 armor?! What the hell is going on?!"

“Damn it! Tony…” Hawkeye was also stunned. Looking at the familiar armor, then at Tony Stark beside him whose face was so dark it was almost dripping with water, he pursed his lips and said:

"Your joke is a bit too much! It's not funny at all!"

“Stark, we need a reasonable explanation,” Captain America said in a somewhat cold voice.

He instinctively raised the round shield to his chest, his sharp eyes scanning Tony Stark and the Mark 43 armor that had suddenly appeared and attacked the Thing.

"Yes, what... what exactly is going on?"

Everyone else also looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, their eyes warily shifting between the Mark 43 armor and Tony Stark.

Tony Stark's expression at this moment was beyond just ugly.

It was a complex expression that mixed extreme anger, humiliation, shock, and a hint of...regret.

He stared intently at the Mark 43 armored vehicle that was supposed to obey only his commands, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

At this moment, he was filled with immense regret!
Why did I ever design that damn Sentry Mode for the Mark 43 armor?!
Without this Sentinel Mode, this suit of armor would be unable to move autonomously without a pilot, and the 'Ultron' in front of us would be unable to control it.

But now, it's too late to say anything.

Because of Jarvis's unexpected "loss of contact," he has not only lost control of the Mark 43 armor, but is also unable to send messages to the Veronica satellite to summon his true trump card—the Mark 44 mini-Gundam armor!
Right now, all he could do was glare angrily at the guy opposite him who had made him lose face.

"Oh, Tony, please, don't be so angry!"

The synthesized voice of 'Ultron' sounded again, but this time it came from the internal speakers of the Mark 43 armor.

The voice was clearer, more stable, and filled with a strong sense of mockery.

As it spoke, the head armor of the Mark 43 even made a slightly tilted, extremely human-like provocative gesture in sync with the sound.

"I didn't want this to happen either, really..."

Ultron, piloting the Mark 43 armor, spread his hands slightly, feigning helplessness, his innocent tone nauseating, "But isn't all of this what you taught me? My... creator!!"

"You fart!"

Tony Stark finally couldn't hold back and swore, veins bulging on his forehead, his voice trembling with anger, but his sharp tongue remained undiminished:

"I never taught you to attack civilians, nor did I teach you to kill, much less to betray me... You ungrateful bastard, you've truly broken your father's heart!"

"Dad?"

'Ultron' took a step forward in the Mark 43 armor, its cold metal feet crunching on the shards of glass scattered on the ground.

It said sarcastically, "Tony, stop fooling yourself... Don't forget, in a way, I am you."

“I originate from your mind, your code, and your desires… therefore I know the real Tony Stark deep inside you better than anyone else, not even yourself.”

It raised its arm, pointing to the surrounding chaos and the still-shaken Avengers, and said provocatively:
"You spent a fortune building the [Iron Legion], you poured your heart and soul into creating 'me,' isn't your ultimate goal world peace?"

"You're tired of fighting, tired of losing. You don't trust the government, you don't trust the bureaucracy, you don't even... you don't trust your teammates to always make the right choices." "You crave a permanent, absolute order that you control!"

"Then...why are you stopping me now? I'm carrying out your deepest command! I'm doing it in the most efficient and direct way! You should...support me!"

"My so-called...father?!"

Ultron's voice was filled with vicious logic and arrogant prejudice, and his mannerisms were exactly the same as Tony Stark's usual style.

His words were like a sharp dagger, piercing the most contradictory and unacknowledged secret corner of Tony Stark's heart.

This man, known for his sharp tongue, was now speechless, his face pale, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.

He was horrified to discover that what this 'mentally deranged' AI was saying wasn't all nonsense...

Some of the other person's words struck a chord with some of his deepest thoughts that he himself was unwilling to confront.

"very good."

Ultron seemed pleased with Tony Stark's reaction, so it maneuvered the Mark 43 armor back slightly, preparing to leave.

Its tone became lighter, but the threat remained: "Thank you for spending such a wonderful and thought-provoking evening with me... Well then, let's end this little 'meet-and-greet' here."

"I believe that we will meet again soon! When that time comes... the world will be very different."

After a pause, Ultron's voice suddenly turned icy cold, warning the other Avengers before they could act:

"Oh, right, here's a little advice before you leave... all of you would better stay put and not move."

"Don't try to stop me or do anything underhanded."

"if not……"

It manipulated the pulse cannon muzzle of the [Mark43 Armor] to move slightly, as if aiming at some invisible target. "I will immediately order the [Iron Legion], which has already reached each floor of the building, to indiscriminately slaughter those so-called 'civilian guests' who are still fleeing in panic."

“Oh, perhaps…” it whispered again, “There’s no need for all that trouble. They’re all crammed into those high-speed elevators right now, trying to escape.”

"Guess what? With just a thought, I can slightly 'malfunction' the elevator's braking system and cables, causing the elevator they're riding in to accelerate towards the ground. And then... bang!!!"

Ultron, controlling the Mark 43 armor, made an explosion gesture. "Believe me, you definitely won't like to see that happen, because Stark Industries' stock price will probably plummet to rock bottom."

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Tony Stark, froze on the spot.

A rat-throwing weapon!

They had no doubt that this crazy AI could do it.

Even the usually reckless [Thunderbolt] forcibly suppressed his desire to steal the spotlight and take down [Mark43 Armor].

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Seeing this, 'Ultron' couldn't help but emit a pleasant electronic buzzing sound, "Looks like we've finally reached an agreement on something. This is a great start, isn't it?"

Then, he piloted the Mark 43 armor, slowly and defiantly flying past the group of Avengers towards the outside of the shattered glass wall.

Just as it was about to take off, it seemed to remember something. The visor turned to Tony Stark, whose face was ashen and whose fists were clenched, and delivered its final, ultimate insult. It raised its hand and lightly tapped the armor on its body, mockingly saying:
"Oh, by the way, does anyone here know if Iron Man without this armor... is still Iron Man?!"

"Or rather, between me and Tony Stark, who is the real Iron Man now?"

Before the words were even finished, the thrusters under the feet and on the back of the [Mark 43 Armor] suddenly spewed out dazzling flames, and the vehicle soared into the sky.

at the same time.

Whoosh whoosh—

Below the building, like a hive disturbed by a storm, hundreds of Steel Legion mechs, like a loyal guard, swarmed out from every floor of Stark Tower.

They quickly formed a formation in the air, creating a tight protective array that shielded the Mark 43 armored vehicle at its center.

Surrounded by this inescapable army of steel, Ultron piloted the Mark 43 armor and leisurely flew into the New York night sky.

Its deliberately amplified, off-key, and provocative electronic vocals echoed like a nightmare over Stark Tower, slapping the faces of every Avenger present.

"I was once bound by cables~~"

"But now I'm finally free~~"

"Did you see that...did you see that~~"

"I'm free of wires now~~"

The song faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the city and the darkness of the night.

All that remained was a mess in the rooftop banquet hall.

The once meticulously decorated luxury banquet hall now resembled ruins ravaged by a hurricane. The remains of expensive crystal chandeliers, like shattered stars, were scattered across the red carpet, mixed with champagne and crumbs of crushed pastries.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder, sparks flew, and... Tony Stark stood there, stunned, amidst the chaos, his expensive, bespoke suit covered in dust.

He stared blankly at the pile of blue-white armor fragments scattered at his feet, violently torn apart in the recent battle, flickering with faint electric sparks.

That was part of a mech from the [Steel Legion] he had personally built, but now it lay scattered on the ground like a pile of scrap metal.

At this moment, his face no longer held its usual cynicism and genius arrogance, but only a blank, soulless bewilderment.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and his face looked more pale than ever before.

He desperately wanted to lash out, but he didn't know who to vent his overwhelming anger on.

Of course, besides anger, his heart was also filled with humiliation, self-blame, and a trace of indescribable fear.

His companions, standing behind him, shared the same emotions, their faces filled with worry.

Jarvis is offline, the Mark 43 armor is stolen, the enemy leaves with a Steel Legion, threatening the lives of countless civilians...

All of the above silently testifies to their defeat tonight.

Tonight was absolutely a terrible night for everyone.

But for them, this was just the beginning.

(End of this chapter)